Dan and I spent our last weekend before I head for home in the super cute and fun town of Akaora. This is the only French settlement in New Zealand and still has some remnants from the first settlers. The street names are all French and many of the buildings showcase French architecture. It was the perfect way to escape the city, immerse ourselves in nature (something we don't do nearly enough anymore), and spend some quality time together before our first separation in many months.
Akaora is located on the banks peninsula, so it is completely surrounded by water and sits among some of the most gorgeous harbors and bays I have ever seen. One of my favorite parts of our weekend away was the drive there. Spring has started in New Zealand which means all of the pastures are full of lambs!
They are SO cute I couldn't even handle it! The entire drive Dan had to listen to my excitement because I was freaking out about them! It reminded me of when we got our goats Zucchini and Zinnia on the farm. They were supposed to be pygmy goats and we got them as little babies. They were tiny and super cute. However, they grew and grew until they were way bigger than any pygmy goat I have ever seen. They were still super cute and fun though!
The other beautiful thing about New Zealand this time of year is that the lupins are starting to bloom. Lupins are an incredible wild flower that lives on many of the banks in NZ. They are a gorgeous purple color and one of my favorite flowers! The first time we saw them was in Alaska and I was so excited to see them now in New Zealand! We did many tramps that took us up above the city to stunning lookout points. It was so peaceful and many times Dan and I just sat there taking in the views and reflecting about where God has taken us and all of his beautiful creation we have been able to witness. We are getting a little burnt out of the busy hustle bustle of the city so it was wonderful to get back into the peace and quiet of nature.
I am now officially home bound as I am writing this during my grueling 13 hour flight from Sydney to L.A. I cannot even express how excited I am to see everyone! I will spend a total of 20 hours in the air and about 29 total in travel time. The journey will be long but 100% worth it when I am once again playing hide and seek with those kiddos, canning and making memories with family, laughing over drinks with friends, and standing next to Hailey as she says “I do” to the man of her dreams :)
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